Leading Individuals

Firms To Watch: Media and entertainment

Alper Law Office specialises in assisting domestic and international production companies with their broadcasting agreements in Turkey and worldwide.
In addition to acting for media companies, KOKSAL & PARTNERS advises corporates on social media matters, contracts with influencers, and online reputational issues.
Paksoy advises its expanding media and entertainment client base on matters spanning a wide range of practice areas.

Media and entertainment in Turkey

Balcioglu Selçuk Ardiyok Keki

Balcioglu Selçuk Ardiyok Keki handles a variety of matters for clients in the Turkish media and entertainment industries, and is particularly well known for its regulatory, compliance and competition advice in this area. The sector group is coordinated between four partners with notable clients in the space: Kağan Dora is a key name in the IT sector and had in-house experience prior to joining the firm; Şahin Ardıyok has strengths in competition and regulatory matters; corporate and M&A partner Galip Selçuk assists media clients with transactional and IP matters; and Bora Ikiler, who was appointed to partner in 2021, is another go-to name for clients in these heavily regulated sectors.

Practice head(s):

Kağan Dora; Galip Selçuk; Şahin Ardıyok; Bora İkiler

Other key lawyers:

Ceren Gizem Özoktay; Hazal Durak

Key clients

beIN Turkey

WPP Group Companies Turkey

GroupM Medya

AMVG AMVG Uluslararası İnternet ve Telekomünikasyon

Rafineri Advertising Agencies

Advertisement Agencies Association (Reklamcılar Derneği)

Mynet Medya

Twitch

BLUTV

Sony Columbia Pictures

Fox Networks Group Yapım

Motion Pictures Association

Loop Games Oyun Teknolojileri

Work highlights

  • Advising Rafineri Reklam Hizmetleri on day-to-day compliance matters relating to its advertisements, visual materials, slogans and related campaign materials.
  • Advising streaming platform Twitch on recent amendments to the internet law that targets social media platforms.
  • Assisting Sony Columbia Pictures with licence annulment procedures.

BTS & Partners

BTS & Partners has a strong focus on the media and entertainment industries, particularly as these spaces have become more and more intertwined with technology. Several major multinationals, including Instagram and Apple, look to the firm for advice on compliance and setting up operations in Turkey. Overseeing the practice are commercial IT law expert Yasin Beceni, ‘top data privacy lawyerTuğrul Sevim, Selin Beceni, a corporate and M&A lawyer with recent experience advising social media companies on internet law amendments, and Zeynep Ünlü, who acts for multinationals on a range of transactional and non-transactional work and is particularly well versed in the IT sector.

Practice head(s):

Yasin Beceni; Selin Beceni; Tuğrul Sevim; Zeynep Ünlü

Other key lawyers:

Erdem Aslan; Kubra Curuksulu

Testimonials

‘Quick, pragmatic approach instead of long legal memorandums.’

‘The team is very responsive and provides top-quality advice.’

‘Zeynep Ünlü is a great expert in her field.’

‘The team is very experienced in data privacy-related matters, with a particular focus on the TMT sector.’

‘Tuğrul Sevim is the top data privacy lawyer in the country.’

Key clients

Microsoft

Instagram

DAZN Group

Digiturk

Bigo

IAB

Apple

Linkedin

Work highlights

  • Advised Microsoft on online content media and advertisement regulations in relation to its online services such as MSN, Bing and the Xbox network.
  • Advised Apple on the effects of online broadcasting regulations relating to Apple TV services.
  • Assisted Instagram with its compliance efforts in relation to recently enacted social media regulations.

ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law

The team at ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law brings its ‘exceptional knowledge and experience‘ to bear in a variety of contentious and non-contentious matters for its strong client base of media and technology companies. Matters relating to the social media space and its fluid regulatory framework are a notable strength of the practice and data protection advice is also an important component of its support to clients. Founding partner and experienced litigator Gönenç Gürkaynak co-leads the department alongside regulatory compliance expert Ceren Yıldız and Tolga Uluay, whose strengths lie in dispute resolution.

Practice head(s):

Gönenç Gürkaynak; Ceren Yıldız; Tolga Uluay

Testimonials

‘ELIG have extensive knowledge and expertise in working with technology companies, and they are swift and responsive when their help and support is needed. Their customised approach to their clients makes it easier to collaborate. They are open to innovations and new approaches implemented by the clients.’

‘The individuals we are working with provide a general opinion on the big picture as well as detailed information on particular day-to-day matters. This has increased our trust in their vision and legal guidance.’

‘ELIG’s team has exceptional knowledge and experience in the sector, which helps us to navigate through the rough legal terrain in the jurisdiction without suffering. They never hesitate to go the extra mile to make our work easier and they are very good at delivering high-quality legal work in short periods of time. Gönenç Gürkaynak and Ceren Yıldız stand out for media and entertainment matters.’

‘They have been very helpful in navigating tech law issues in Turkey for us, especially advising us on how to reply to takedown notices.’

‘They are responsive and thorough.’

Key clients

Google

Google Bilgi Teknolojileri

Twitter

Google Reklamcılık ve Pazarlama

Wikimedia Foundation

WordPress

Motion Picture Association

Warner Bros

Work highlights

  • Assisting Twitter with newly introduced Turkish social network regulations, and the establishment of a local Twitter representative.
  • Advising Google on the implementation of newly introduced regulations on non-affiliation from search engines and the right to be forgotten.
  • Representing Wikimedia in its pending ECHR case regarding the access ban implemented in Turkey.

Esin Attorney Partnership, a Member Firm of Baker McKenzie Inter

A number of the most recognisable global digital media companies instruct Esin Attorney Partnership, a Member Firm of Baker McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein on their matters in Turkey, with the ‘large and diverse team' handling a range of issues and keeping clients up to date on the often-changing regulatory landscape. Senior associate Can Sözer, who assists clients with data protection, telecoms and e-commerce issues, heads the team. Since publication Ilay Yılmaz left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Can Sözer

Testimonials

‘Esin’s team is accustomed to working with multinational media and entertainment companies, which makes it easier for us to work with them.’

‘A very large and diverse team of well-trained and experienced professionals. The firm has a great international network. They are responsive and respond quickly on complicated matters.’

‘Very experienced experts. Good communication skills and stay in close touch with clients.’

Key clients

Spotify

Netflix

Storytel

Google

Twitter

Twitch

Yemeksepeti

Zynga

CGTN Corp

Peak Games

Pinterest

Dailymotion

Tesla

Linkedin

Work highlights

  • Assisted Spotify with its submission to obtain a broadcasting licence.
  • Assisted Netflix with its successful submission to obtain a broadcasting licence.
  • Advised Netflix on its collaboration with the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, reviewed the collaboration agreement from a commercial as well as a tax law perspective and assisted Netflix with the negotiation process.

Gün + Partners

Gün + Partners fields a dedicated media and entertainment practice that acts for clients across the spectrum of related matters and stands out for its dispute resolution work, particularly in the field of intellectual property. Other areas in which the team is frequently active include drafting and reviewing a range of contracts and agreements, advising on compliance with regulatory law and representing clients before the relevant government authorities. Hande Hançar, who is praised by one client for her ‘academic knowledge, follow-up on regulatory matters and industry-specific experience', co-heads the team with advertising and IP expert Uğur Aktekin. Senior associate Baran Güney provides support on the full gamut of matters.

Practice head(s):

Hande Hançar; Uğur Aktekin

Other key lawyers:

Baran Güney

Testimonials

‘Gün + Partners has proven itself to be one of Turkey’s leading law firms in the media and entertainment sector; the quality of its professionals and its service cannot be found anywhere else. Gün + Partners has extensive experience in intellectual property law, especially relating to counterfeit products and trade mark violations. This experience distinguishes the firm from other competitors in terms of demonstrating effective follow-up on protecting the rights of companies.’

‘Hande Hançar makes an invaluable contribution to our company with her high level of academic knowledge, follow-up on regulatory matters and industry-specific experience. She stands by us as a direct stakeholder rather than a consultant and strengthens our hand considerably. We benefit from her guidance not only in litigation and case follow-ups, but also in representation before the administration and in the conduct of relationships with other authorities.’

Work highlights

  • Assisted an internet entertainment company with its local operations, including legal claims.
  • Assisted Greek composer Yannis Karalis in a copyright dispute with Turkish musician Sezen Aksu.
  • Assisted a South Korean video game holding company with reviewing the updated terms of a video game it owns.

Güner Law Office

Güner Law Office excels in assisting its clients in the media and entertainment sectors with corporate, commercial and related regulatory matters. The cross-practice group also handles IP and employment issues in these sectors and has extensive experience of advising multinationals, including on first-of-their-kind mandates. Founding and managing partner Ece Güner Toprak acts for a number of international broadcasting and telecoms companies and co-leads the department with Burçak Kurt Biçer, who is particularly focused on the media sector.

Practice head(s):

Ece Güner Toprak; Burçak Kurt Biçer

Other key lawyers:

Gizem Esen; Sena Aydın

Key clients

Fox Networks Group

Fox Turkey

The Walt Disney Company

A&E Networks

Viacom International Media Networks

Sky

Endemol Shine Group

The New York Times

Dow Jones (The Wall Street Journal)

Work highlights

  • Advising Fox Networks Group Turkey on a range of matters relating to its terrestrial Fox channel and thematic channels, namely FX, Fox Life, Fox Crime, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo People and 24 Kitchen.
  • Providing ongoing advice to the Walt Disney Company in relation to various broadcasting, contractual, regulatory, real estate and intellectual property matters.

Moroglu Arseven

Moroglu Arseven fields a media, entertainment and sports sector group that has established itself as one of the go-to teams for international clients setting up operations in Turkey and is bolstered by the firm’s strengths in IT and IP law. Outside traditional media and entertainment matters, the team also has a niche in handling dispute resolution in the sports sector, where practice co-head Benan Arseven is the key contact. IP practice head Işık Özdoğan leads the group alongside Arseven, while other names to note include IT and telecoms expert Burcu Tuzcu Ersin and Seyfi Moroğlu, who focuses on corporate transactions.

Practice head(s):

Benan Arseven; Işık Özdoğan

Other key lawyers:

Seyfi Moroğlu; Burcu Tuzcu Ersin; Ezgi Baklacı Gülkokar; Ece Berkman; Burcu Güray

Testimonials

‘Responsive, pragmatic and very pleasant to deal with.’

‘As Moroğlu Arseven have robust expertise in the industry and a strong understanding of local market dynamics, we knew they would be able to identify the potential legal issues along the way and conduct the necessary actions proactively.’

‘Great team – knowledgable and quick to respond.’

‘I work mostly with Işik Ozdogan at partner level. She is extremely accessible and personally follows up work even when it is handled by an associate.’

‘The team from Moroglu Arseven has provided us with long-term, high-quality services in this field. The main advantage of this team lies in its excellent professionalism and competitive fees. The team has sufficient professionals to provide us with services including contract review and legal consultation and in view of the long-term cooperation between the two parties, the team kindly offer us a discount price.’

‘From our long-term communication and collaboration, we believe that Burcu Tuzcu Ersin has excellent professional capabilities, because she is always able to discover and solve our needs and confusion in a timely manner. In addition, she is always patient and logical when answering our questions. Burcu Güray also provided us with excellent services relating to our daily legal affairs.’

ADMD/Mavioglu & Alkan Law Office

ADMD/Mavioglu & Alkan Law Office has a broad media and entertainment practice, assisting with licensing, regulatory compliance and contracting services and bringing together other departments, including corporate, tax and employment, to provide comprehensive support to its clients. 'Expert in her fieldKardelen Lule spearheads the group, leading the team on regulatory compliance, licensing, contractual and litigation matters. Corporate and compliance lawyer Mine Tamusta and IP expert Can Cetingoz are key contacts among a host of partners across different practice areas.

Practice head(s):

Kardelen Lule

Other key lawyers:

Can Cetingoz; Orhan Yavuz Mavioglu; Mine Tamusta; Duygu Alkan

Testimonials

‘ADMD are very easy to work with and very dependable. They are very fast with their answers and the solutions offered are easy to understand and implement.’

‘We work with Kardelen Lule, who is an expert in her field and very easy to work with.’

‘Kardelen Lule is our principal contact for media-related affairs. She is solution oriented and assists us with our advertising and PR campaigns, use of digital and mobile platforms, data optimisation, privacy issues and content-related matters.’

‘Orhan Yavuz Mavioglu is a great legal expert. His level of comprehension of accounting, auditing and tax issues is unmatched. He has a great team of lawyers, all with well-deserved reputations and experience. We rely on their experience on many levels and share clients. Duygu Alkan and Mine Tamusta are also very prominent figures in the legal world. However, they and their teams are also very humble, kind and accessible. We are proud to have them on our side both as our lawyers and also as business partners.’

‘The team of ADMD has a very good mix of great skill, extensive experience, a high level of work ethic and strong communication skills.’

‘Kardelen Lule and Can Cetingoz stand out for their knowledge and mastery of their fields. Their teams of lawyers provide us with high-quality services in line with our always urgent and demanding inquiries.’

‘Kardelen Lule and Mine Tamusta resolve all our issues. Both are very skilled and experienced. They are easy to reach and get back to us swiftly, no matter how complex the matter is.’

‘Kardelen Lule and Can Cetingoz are very skilled media and entertainment consultants. They offer to-the-point advice with superb efficiency.’

Key clients

Accurate Digital

Bloom Medya

BMI

COJ

IFS

Jato Dynamics

Ligman

Lobby Reklam

MUK International

Telecom Italia Sparkle

Work highlights

  • Assisting COJ with the launch of its packaged products line, including advertisement, production, placement, publishing, content review and compliance issues.
  • Advising Telecom Italia with domain-related issues, content review, publishing and compliance matters.
  • Acting for Ligman in an IP dispute over advertisement media, involving claims of design and copyright infringement in various jurisdictions.

Gökçe

Gökçe has ‘undeniable knowledge‘ of the media and entertainment sector, particularly where it intersects with the technology and internet spaces. Assisting companies with the laws around online gaming is a niche area of strength for the team and it also brings in partners from the wider firm to advise media clients on corporate, banking, dispute resolution and employment matters. Görkem Gökçe, who is ‘an outstanding lawyer in this sector‘; ‘true expertAli Paslı; and Bedii Kaya, who has ‘unbelievable technology knowledge‘, coordinate the practice together. IT and telecoms managing associate Yağmur Yollu is a further key contact.

Practice head(s):

Görkem Gökçe; Ali Paslı; Bedii Kaya

Other key lawyers:

Yağmur Yollu

Testimonials

‘Among the law firms that I’m aware of, the team stands out for its young, energetic and dedicated lawyers. This is reflected in their work through their fast turnaround of work. Also, the team understands the technical and operational details of my business so well that I can save time. I believe this especially creates the difference when compared to the other law firms.’

‘The team that undertakes most of my work includes an experienced partner, Bedii Kaya. I believe his contribution to the team is very meaningful both in terms of reputation and business strategy.’

‘Görkem Gökçe is an outstanding lawyer in this sector and he always balances the business with the legal side of the work, which is an exceptional quality among lawyers. Ali Paslı is a true expert and has incredible capability, especially in commercial and intellectual property law, which is a must for my business. Bedii Kaya has unbelievable technology knowledge which he can easily bring to the TMT work the firm does. Lastly, since day one, I’ve been working closely with Yağmur Yollu. She is always supportive, capable of understanding complex structures and solving complicated issues promptly.’

‘The firm is more focused on the gaming industry than any other law firm based in Turkey. I have worked with many firms, but at Gökçe it is a different experience when it comes to advice on business law in emerging industries. You can take advice directly from partners and experienced managers, regardless of your company size. They are so eager to learn what it is going on in your company and how your business is evolving depending on the new standards. They generally follow up your activities month by month and give advice about emerging standards both in Turkish and international law.’

‘The media and entertainment practice requires a close follow-up of legal developments. Lawyers always need to be up-to-date and should rapidly keep their clients updated. Over the years, I have realised that this is one of Gökçe’s biggest strengths. They are very good in keeping themselves updated and this is reflected in their compliance work.’

‘They have undeniable knowledge of the sector compared to other law firms. They interpret the little known legislation within the sector very well. They can easily explain the drafting of legal contracts to us in a clear way.’

‘Since we are a tech company dealing with the rapidly changing online world, we need immediate responses at almost all times. The individuals we have engaged with over the years are highly experienced; they do not waste too much time on the initial researching stage and swiftly assist us. Ali Paslı is a well-known IP expert and contributes to our company’s critical disputes, particularly regarding content. When considering their work, I believe they stand out from other competitors because of the interest they show in the sector.’

‘Yağmur Yollu regularly assists us with almost every matter. She is energetic and cares about the client’s business, which makes us feel that we are in good hands.’

Key clients

Gram Games

HUYA (nimo.tv)

Miniclip

Gameguru

Masomo

BluTV

Alictus

Onedio

Robomotion

Pixsy

Narcade Games

Evreka

IMeanIt Creative

Gybe Games

USLA

HAMM Design

Work highlights

  • Assisted Onedio with updating and restructuring its data protection compliance project.
  • Advised Alictus on a general review and compliance matters relating to the terms of use of the company, licence and cooperation agreements, and other agreements.
  • Acting for mobile gaming company Masomo in a dispute before the Turkish Consumer Arbitration Committee.

Koc Attorneys at Law

Koc Attorneys at Law frequently serves as production counsel on TV programmes and films, handles content clearance and advises streaming clients on legislative developments in the space. Other work includes advice on advertising law, social media rules and copyrights matters relating to audio-visual artistic work. Practice head Alper Koç is a founder partner of media and streaming-focused consultancy BridgePeer Consultancy.

Practice head(s):

Alper Koç

Key clients

MBC Group – Middle East Broadcasting Center

Al Arabiya News Network

MBC Studios

O3 Medya

Shahid.mbc.net

Lanistar Medya

İpek Filmcilik ve Sinemacılık Ticaret Limited Şirketi

CB Medya Yatırım Ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi

CB Film Yapım Prodüksiyon İletişim Ve Reklam Hizmetleri Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Modyo TV

Wizzo Games

Netflix

Work highlights

  • Advising MBC Group on corporate matters and Turkish copyright and trademark law.
  • Advising O3 Medya on all TV and on-demand media production matters and providing legal support in all phases of the production cycle.
  • Advised Netflix on various broadcasting law and copyright law related matters.

NSN Law Firm

NSN Law Firm is the go-to firm for a host of domestic broadcasters, international film companies and sports clubs, among others. It is also often engaged by international firms to provide Turkish law advice to multinational digital media clients. The team has extensive expertise in regulatory compliance and operational issues unique to the sector. Nazlı Selek and Bilge Derınbay co-lead the department, while associate and IP and competition expert Büşra Bıçakcı comes highly recommended by clients.

Practice head(s):

Nazlı Selek; Bilge Derınbay

Other key lawyers:

Hande Ülker; Büşra Bıçakcı; Mahmut Ramazan Ertaş

Testimonials

‘What makes this team unique is that they can go beyond the terms of engagement when needed. They abide by the contract with us but that does not set the framework for their advice, nor the field we wage our battles on. As a company we feel reassured by their extra support and guidance throughout the process. And with this team beside us, we can say that legal issues have occurred at the lowest rate in the company’s history.’

‘Bilge Derınbay is the key problem solver whenever we meet an obstacle or are in need of urgent legal advice. She is a good observer of the room and, with her professional knowledge and experience, makes sure we are still in the game.’

‘Büşra Bıçakcı is a wizard from Hogwarts because she can create a winning case out of nowhere, specialising in IP and competition law. She can think of things that haven’t occurred to anyone else, notice the tiny crumbs and from those tiny crumbs create a whole new case. She is a professional with a human touch. With hard work and dedication anyone can be a professional with experience, but not everyone can combine this with a personal approach. Büşra is a harmony of professionalism and the human touch, making her a success at her job. I am proud and happy to work with her.’

‘The media and entertainment law team provides advice on advertising regulations and other regulatory matters. Having opinions and advice from NSN Law Firm gives us the confidence to solve our problems since we know that they are experienced in this market, so they can keep up with the regulations and practice, and also their communications with the administrative authorities are excellent. They provide compliance services before starting an advertisement campaign with their skilful and practised team aiming to create the best solutions for us.’

‘Bilge Derınbay and Büşra Bıçakcı are distinguished lawyers. Working with Bilge and Büşra is a comfort for us considering her experience in the field and great dispute resolution skills. Complicated dispute resolution matters or complex advertising campaigns can be solved easily due to her intelligence and ability to deal with the legal issues. They are great at advising on specific regulations related to the media sector and are always up to date on matters and never fail to inform us regarding crucial legal developments.’

‘We appreciate Bilge Derınbay’s persistence and professionalism.’

‘You feel confident that they have huge knowledge and experience in this area of law.’

‘They are very experienced in their field, monitor the industry and all legal developments very closely, and we can easily reach them when needed.’

Key clients

Bloomberg

Associated Press

Beşiktaş Kültür Merkezi (BKM)

Sikorski Music Publishing

Nestlé

Sandoz

Allergan

Promo Veritas

Pfizer

Amgen

BSH EV Aletleri

Borusan Contemporary

A.O. Smith

Colgate-Palmolive

Calling Mag

Moskitos Films

Ali Sunal

Maça Film

Kontak Film

Bkm Mutfak

Tolga Çevik

Eser Yenerler

Oğuzhan Koç

Ibrahim Büyükak

Work highlights

  • Represented sheet music publishing company Musikverlage Hans Sikorski before the Turkish courts concerning copyrights matter in order to obtain royalty compensation, which included both the representation fee and the sheet music hiring fee.
  • Advised Nestle Türkiye Gıda Sanayi on consent forms and contracts regarding advertising regulations.
  • Advised Borusan Holding on the drafting and negotiation of its advertising agency services agreement.